Suction foot-valve.



C. L-FRENCH.

' SUCTION FOOT VALVE.

APPLICATION F'ILED JULY 14, 1913 Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

I/7/JI 6 //v VE/V 777/? [HA/515s L. FRENCH lit) CHARLES L. FRENCH, OFCAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

suorron FOOT-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. i, rare.

Application filed July M, 1913. Serial No. 779,043.

from which liquid is to be drawn through a suitable pump; and hasspecial reference to the pumping of light oils, such as gasolene, from astorage tank situated below and at a distance from the pump, as, forinstance, in an automobile garage.

Foot valves of this nature are in every day use and are well-known tothe trade, but there are several features and functions connected withtheir constructionwhich are not incorporated in any type known to me,and which form a very necessary addition, where efliciency of action andsimplicity of construction are desired. These storage tanks aregenerally placed beneath the surface of the ground for better fireprotection, and suitable pumps are located on the floor "of the garageand connected by suitable lines of piping with the foot valve, which islocated within the tank and at the bottom thereof. The pump in generaluse is designed, not only to lift, but to measure the quantity ofgasolene that is to bedelivered, and to do this satisfactorily, the pipeconnections referred to above, must remain full when the pump is atrest, thus necessitating a foot Valve that will automatically permittheupward passage of the gasolene, but Wlll not permit its return to thetank after once passing the valve. As there are likely to be smallparticles of refuse in the gasolene, such as chips or scale, which,while small enough to successfully pass through the pump, might endangerthe successful closing of the foot valve, it is customary to employ twoof these check valves in seriesso that one at lea-st'is sure to closeand maintain the level of the liquid in the pump. Such refuse as ispermitted to pass through the pump is subsequently extracted, togetherwith whatever water may be mechanically mixed with the gasolene, so theonly straining means required at the foot valve is that necessary toexclude such refuse as might clog the pump. In addition to the refusementioned above, there are likely to be particles of waste or lint whichit is highly desirable should not be drawn into the pump and h ence 1tis customary to interpose such stralnlng means as will prevent this fromentering the pipe connections. Also, as some water, or possibly someheavier oils may get into the tank, these, settling to the bottom, bygravity, make it highly desirable that some eflicient means should beprovided whereby the desired oil may be withdrawn to practically emptythe tank, without the danger of sucking up the water.

To meet these several requirements, I have invented a foot valve whichwill not get clogged, either at the screen. nor at the check valves.Also, my valve is so constructed that an appreciable amount of watermay. accumulate in the tank without the possibility of its beingwithdrawn with the gasolene, although the valve body may be resting onthe floor of the tank.

Other features of construction and use will appear later which add tothe value of my invention.

In the drawings, which form part of and accompany thisspecification,Figure 1 is a side elevation of my foot valve. F ig. 2 isa top plan view of same. Fig. 3 is a vertical central section. Fig. 4 isa plan section on line 44 of Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are modifications.

The valve-body 1 is in the form of a vertically disposed cylinder withtwo valveseats 2 and 3, integral therewith, For the purpose ofassembling, the upper valve-seat 2- is slightly larger in area than thelower, 3, and the valves, 4 and 5, respectively, are so mounted abovethem as to lift or seat automatically, according as to whether the pumpis on or off. In Fig. 3, thepump is supposed to be on and both valves 4and 5 are lifted.

The top of body 1 is provided with a screw-connection 6 for assemblingon the lower end of a suitable suction pipe, not shown. The bottom ofbody 1 is provided with a second screw-connection 7 for the purpose ofassembling the foot-piece 8 and thereby closing the lower end of body 1.A packing washer 9 may be employed to insure a tight joint at 7, and, asthe foot 8 may be entirely submerged in water below the gasolene, thiswasher 9 helps to prevent corrosion in the screw connection 7.

In the outer wall of body 1, and below valve-seat 3, I provide an inletfor the gasolenein the form of a series of narrow, vertical slots 10,each of which is sufficiently restricted in area to exclude such refuseas might clog the pump. These slots 10 are self-clearing for the smallerparticles of refuse, by reason of their larger inner areas, as will benoticed in Fig. 4. -Thus, if'particles of scale or small chips findtheir way to these slots, they will, after enterin freely pass throughand drop into the pocket 11, in the bottom of foot 8, where they are outof the direct oil current. If they are too large to pass through slots10, they will find no lodgm'ent on the outside wall of body 1 and mustdrop to the floor of the tank outside. These'slotsconstitute one of thevaluable features of my invention, although they are not indispensable,as will be later noticed. I

The bottom of the slots 10 is placed sufliciently above the lower edgeof body 1 to allow for an appreciable accumulation of water in the tankwhich may not be pumped through the regular channel; for it is obviousthat action of the pum will cease when the. oil is lowered to thislevel.- To insure action until this level has been reached, I preferablysurround valve-seat 3 with 21. depending shell or ring 12 which reachesto or below the bottom of slots 10,

and I utilize this ring 12 to support and" guide valve 5 in itsmovements,,through the agency of a sleeve 13 united to ring 12 by thearms 14, Figs. 3 and 4. Valve 5 is provided with a depending, centralstem 15 adapted to slidably engage with sleeve 13 as a guide, and a nut16, at the lower end of stem 15, serves to check the upward movement ofvalve 5; the seat 3 limiting its downward or seating movement.

By the fore-going, it will be seen that with the water in thetank belowthe bottom of the slots 10, the pump action will raise no water,although the actual suction level is below that of the water, the realpump well belng the chamber 17, within the body 1., which, under theabove conditions, is always filled with gasolene.

s it is necessary, when assembling valve 4, that no part of itscircumference shall be as large as that of the screw-opening 6, and asit is necessary that some arrangement be made to limit its upwardmovement, and also that some guiding means be employed that will notinterfere with the assembling of valve 5, I employ a rim-guide for valve4, consisting of a series of depending lugs 18 adapted to fit within theopening of seat 2. To limit the upward movement of valve 4, provide aseries of upwardly extending stop-pins 19 adapted for radial movementwithin slots 20 cut in the upper side of valve 4, the blind screws 21serving to hold them in extended or retracted position, through theagency of slots 22 in the slide 23 of pins 19. The valve 4 is assembledwith the pins retracted, whereafter the slides 23 are moved outwardlyuntil the pins 19 will abut against the shoulder 24, below screwconnection 6.

As an auxiliary screening means, I prefer to provide a screen 26,soldered within the cup 27 in foot 8, and adapted to closely surroundthe lower end of ring 12, so that smaller particles than are excluded byslots l0 may be here caught and deposited within the pocket 11. Byinclining this screen 26, the tendency of any particles to cling to itssides is eliminated. This screen 26 could be employed to do the wholework of straining the liquid, in which case the slots 10 could begreatly enlarged; but I prefer to employ both, or to eliminate thescreen first. A valuable feature of screen 26 which is not possessed bythe slots 10, is the fact that its whole efi'ective area is alwayssubmerged, so that any floating refuse has no chance to clog it.

In Fig. 5, the pins 19 are replaced by spring stops 30 adapted to'yieldsutliciently for assembling.

In Fig. 6, I show a screw collar 31, supporting a central sleeve 32 bymeans of spokes 33, similar to arms 14. In this arrangement, lugs 18 arenot needed, the guiding means being the central stem 34.

By making body 1 in one piece, I avoid a made-up joint between thevalves 4 and 5, beside the advantage of simpler and more compactconstruction.

Wrench-holds 28 and 29 are provided on the body and foot, respectively,for purposes of assembling.

Wliat I claim is:

lz-A foot valve comprising a vertically disposed casing, means foroperatively eonnecting said casing to a suitable suction device, and alift valve operatively positioned within said casing; in combinationwith a plurality of movable fingers mounted on said valve and adapted tolimit the lifting of said valve, said fingers being collapsibly arrangedto permit the placing of said valve in operative position. and means forscreening the material to be drawn through said casing.

2. A suction foot valve comprising a. ver-. tically disposed casing;means for attaching said casing to a suitable suction device;

'a plurality of automatic valves mounted in vertical alinement withinsaid casing; and screening means in the side walls of said casing andbelow said valves; in combination with a series of collapsible fingersmounted in connection with the upper of said valves.

3. A suction foot valve comprising a vertically disposed casing;screening means in the side walls of said casing; and a pluralityeasing;

of automatic valves mounted in vertical alinement within said casing,the upper of said valves being provided with collapsible fingers tolimit its opening movement.

4:. A suction foot valve comprising a vertically disposed casing with aseries of nar-' row inlet slots in the side walls thereof and ascrew-threaded opening in the top thereof; an automatic lift valvemounted Within said ashoulder formed in connection with saidscrew-threaded opening; and removable means, mounted in connection withsaid valve and adapted to unite with said shoulder to limit the upwardmovement of said valve.

CHARLES L. FRENCH. Witnesses:

A. T. PALMER, ARTHUR E. THAYER.

